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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Downtown in Hartford in Hartford County, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
 

Captain Joseph Wadsworth

 
 
Captain Joseph Wadsworth Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Michael Herrick, February 1, 2012
1. Captain Joseph Wadsworth Marker
Inscription.
Where you are standing, on October 31, 1687 came Sir Edmund Andros to the meeting house built on this site, sent by the British Crown to revoke Connecticut's Charter and establish the Dominion of New England. Captain Joseph Wadsworth, determined to protect Connecticut's liberties, stealthily removes the Charter from the room. He tucks the precious document inside his cloak and hurries through the night looking for a safe hiding place. Tradition says Wadsworth took the Charter to a great tree a quarter mile from here and placed it within its sturdy trunk. Thus was born the Legend of the Charter Oak.

Joseph Wadsworth sculpture by Randy Nelson, 1996.
Made possible through a grant from The Hartford Courant Foundation.

 
Erected 1996 by The Hartford Courant Foundation.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial EraGovernment & Politics. A significant historical date for this entry is October 31, 1687.
 
Location. 41° 45.98′ N, 72° 40.373′ W. Marker is in Hartford, Connecticut, in Hartford County. It is in Downtown. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Main Street and Central Row, on the right when traveling north. Located on the grounds of Connecticut's Old State House. Touch for map.
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Marker is at or near this postal address: 800 Main Street, Hartford CT 06103, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Thomas Hooker (here, next to this marker); Adrićn Block (here, next to this marker); Alexis de Tocqueville (within shouting distance of this marker); The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (within shouting distance of this marker); The Tower Clock (within shouting distance of this marker); Old State House (within shouting distance of this marker); George Washington (within shouting distance of this marker); Marquis de La Fayette (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hartford.
 
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
 
Also see . . .
1. Tapping the Scales of Justice - A Dose of Connecticut Legal History: The Charter Oak. Excerpt:
The Charter was important because it granted Connecticut rights to govern itself.

In 1687, King James II became intent upon gaining control of all the colonies and revoked the Royal Charters. He sent his Agent with an armed troop to seize the document. Here the story takes a dramatic twist. In the candle lit meeting room, leaders of the Connecticut colony met with Sir Edmond Andros, the King's Royal Governor of the Dominion. They gathered to debate the surrender of the
Captain Joseph Wadsworth Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Michael Herrick, February 1, 2012
2. Captain Joseph Wadsworth Marker
Charter for several hours. Suddenly the room went dark. When the confusion cleared and the candles were lit again, it was discovered that the Charter was gone from the table. It was hidden in the trunk of a nearby large white oak tree.
(Submitted on October 22, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.) 

2. What Was the Dominion of New England?. 2016 article by Rebecca Beatrice Brooks. Excerpt:
But most importantly, the Dominion was set up to enforce the Navigation Acts in the colony which prohibited the colonists from trading with countries not ruled by the British crown, particularly with the Dutch.

King James II chose Sir Edmund Andros to govern the Dominion. Andros had previously served as the governor of New York and New Jersey from 1674 to 1681. Boston was chosen as the headquarters of the Dominion of New England. Andros arrived in Boston on December 20, 1686 and immediately took control of the Dominion.

Town meetings were severely restricted, the local legislatures were disbanded and a council was created to assist Andros in governing the colony.
(Submitted on October 22, 2022.) 
 
“Hiding the Original Charter in the Oak” image. Click for full size.
(Public Domain) via the Internet Archive's OpenLibrary.org. Artist not credited, 1882
3. “Hiding the Original Charter in the Oak”
Engraving from the 1882 book A Comprehensive and Popular History of the United States by Alexander H. Stephens.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 3, 2012, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 1,949 times since then and 154 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week October 23, 2022. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on March 3, 2012, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.   3. submitted on October 22, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.

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Mar. 19, 2024